The Dance
by Wannon
Summary: Joint Creation: *Shounen ai - 13+4* Answer to a challenge. Treize and Quatre almost glimpse what could have been. Please R/R ^_^ We appreciate all feedback.


A very good friend of ours challenged us to write a fic about his two favorite characters… So here's a 13 **+4 (kinda) fic specially written for I-chan Kobyashi by Smeegee & Wannon.I (Smeegee) was thinking about how to write it and got the idea for this fic about 3.00am… so I wrote it down while it was still in my mind and then gave it to Wannon, who added most of Quatre's POV.The result? Read it and see… The title is just a working title, if you think of anything better than share with us!**

~ The Dance ~

Part One: Treize.

Treize Khushrenada raised his wineglass.It felt good to be out of uniform, away from the harshness of Oz.To just be… normal.

He leant back slightly to avoid the light, opting to hide within the shadows, concealing his identity.It wouldn't do to be recognised, and he was well known in some circles.

He glanced quickly around the ballroom for any familiar faces.Nothing.He was here incognito, for a brief respite from responsibility…too brief.He couldn't partake in the frivolity, but it was enough to simply be there, relaxing and enjoying the beautiful setting before him.

He did love beautiful things…

Another sip of the wine, and he hastily swept his eyes across the room once more.He caught a brief, disturbing glimpse of a familiar face, but then it was gone, swallowed up by swirling couples.

_Quatre Winner… he thought worriedly.__A Gundam pilot…_

With practiced ease he recalled all he knew about the boy, his associates, his history.It all painted a rather different picture than the blonde angel he knew by sight.It was hard to reconcile the image with that of a killer, a terrorist.

Abruptly he gazed once more out into the crowd, determined to see him again, to observe him.

_No one can carry the weight of so much destruction and remain so pure…the weight I bear nearly crushes me…he thought._

The beauty of the evening was gone with that thought, but he continued his search for the face, waiting to see if the blue eyes still sparkled, or if they were dead, like his own…

"Are you looking for me, General?" A child's voice nearly, not that of a man.He turned calmly to face the angel, the killer.

The first thing he saw was sparkling blue eyes.

# Beautiful…he thought.It hardly seemed to matter that this was his enemy.

"Good evening," he said, shaking the proffered hand, small in his own.The pretty face smiled up at him, surprising a smile of his own out of hiding.

"Quatre Raberba Winner, pleased to meet you,"

Treize smiled inwardly at the formality of the introduction, and the implausibility of the meeting.

"Treize Khushrenada," he returned politely.

A childish giggle surprised him for a moment, but Quatre quickly explained.

"I was just wondering how the others would react…"

Treize too, smiled at the thought.It was indubitable that none of them would be this…civilized.He made brief inquiries into their health and wellbeing, -answered shortly, but politely by his young protagonist – then found himself without words to speak.

He wished the war wasn't happening, that the battle lines weren't drawn between them.Just so he could get to know this remarkably still innocent young man.

He did love beautiful things…

Just before the silence became uncomfortable, Treize's pager beeped, startling them both, and annoying him.He was _enjoying the moment, because he was looking at a very beautiful young man._

He glanced down at the offending device with a frown.

_Une…he thought, as he recognised the number.A crisis, no doubt, requiring his immediate attention._

He found himself saddened by the thought of leaving the angel – politely watching him from the corner of his eye.He deftly extracted the rose from his lapel and pressed it into the young pilot's hand.

"It's delicate and pure…like you," he explained, and was gratified when a blush rose on Quatre's cheek.He raised the pale hand to his lips and kissed it briefly, closing the fingers around the stem.

"Pleasure meeting you," he assured the blonde, "'Til next time?"

They both knew there would be no next time, no shared smiles…or roses.If ever they met again, it was likely to be on a battlefield.

"Thankyou," the blonde said, indicating the rose."It's beautiful,"

_Like you… Treize couldn't help but think.He couldn't understand why he was so drawn to the cherubic youngster, but he wasn't one to question his emotions._

"Until next time," Quatre repeated the general's lie.Treize wished they _could meet again like this, but knew it would never happen.Without another word, he turned and gracefully left, not looking back for fear of those blue eyes trapping him._

~ * ~

Part Two: Quatre.

Quatre yawned politely, and excused himself from the attentions of a rather clingy female that he had been trying to avoid all night.As heir to the Winner fortune it was necessary for him to fulfill a certain amount of commitments.Unfortunately attending parties and flirting with rich young women was one of the unofficial ones.His retinue claimed there would be many attractive young women just waiting for a husband, but to be quite frank, Quatre wasn't interested.

# They may be beautiful, in a way, but they're not what I want…he thought with a smile.He tried to lose himself in the crowd, hoping to avoid attracting attention.

He wasn't that lucky.

Being the Winner heir, and a handsome young man at that, it was hard not to notice him.

"Master Winner! Oh, there you are!" a shrill female voice cried.Quatre forced a smile on his face, and began to turn when something… someone caught his eye.

_Treize Khushrenada? It couldn't be… he thought, dismissing the thought with a silent giggle.There was no way the leader of OZ would be at a party.He turned to the female who had approached him._

"Good evening, madam…to what do I owe the honor of your presence?" Quatre said, his voice laden with syrup.The girl giggled, a high-pitched, nerve-grating sound.Quatre stopped the grimace that was threatening to appear, and exchanged pleasantries, before excusing himself again.He quickly made his way to the shadows, where the light could not touch him, and highlight his giveaway hair.It was then that he saw the man again.He was statuesque, with ginger hair.

_It sure looks like Treize… but what is he doing here? Quatre thought suspiciously, edging closer to catch a glimpse of the man's face.The taller man was deep in thought, and didn't notice the quiet observer beside him.Quatre watched him scan the crowd with interest.It was then that the blonde spoke up._

"Are you looking for me, General?" he asked boldly.Treize turned smoothly to look him in the eyes.Quatre found himself absorbing the detail of the man's face, from the forked eyebrows, to the cornflower blue eyes.

_He's very handsome, I can admit that… even if he is the enemy. Quatre thought.He held his hand out, trying to instigate a handshake._

"Good evening," Treize said finally, taking Quatre's considerably smaller hand into his own, engaging them in a warm handshake.Quatre couldn't help but smile, his eyes lighting up when he saw Treize smile too.

"Quatre Raberba Winner, pleased to meet you," he said politely.

"Treize Khushrenada," the other man replied.Quatre giggled suddenly, startling the Oz general.

"I was just wondering how the others would react…" he explained, as he thought it over in his mind.

Heero…he would extract all necessary information from him… then he'd kill him.Ninmu kanryu.

_Duo? Duo would most likely shoot first, then remember to ask questions._

Trowa…I'm not sure I know anymore… I thought I knew him, but I guess I was wrong.

Wufei.I'm sure Wufei would have a few words to say to Treize… He'd challenge him again, make sure it was a fair fight, but he'd do his best to kill him. 

_Me… no, I couldn't do it… I couldn't kill a man such as this. He realised._

"How are they all?" Treize inquired.Quatre frowned.

"They're all well," he said briefly, as politely as he could manage.That said, they lapsed into silence, neither one could find a single thing to say.Quatre opted for observing the Oz general, memorizing his face.

_So handsome, so classy…my kind of man… he thought, before a beeper sounding startled him from his reverie.He watched as Treize glanced at the number with a frown._

_Trouble, I'll bet.Poor Treize, not a moment's rest… Quatre thought sadly.His tourmaline eyes widened, as Treize plucked the red rose from his lapel.Before Quatre could blink in surprise, Treize had placed the rose in his hands._

"It's delicate and pure…like you," Treize explained.Quatre felt his cheeks heat up, and knew he was blushing.The blush deepened when Treize raised the blonde's hand to his lips, and kissed it softly, wrapping Quatre's fingers tighter around the rose stem.

"Pleasure meeting you," Treize continued."'Til next time?" 

Quatre felt disappointed.He knew…they both knew that this was a one-off thing.They would never again meet like this.

_It's a shame… I would have liked to spend more time with him… he thought._

"Thank you," he said."It's beautiful,"

_Like you… he didn't say.He couldn't understand why he felt drawn to the ginger-haired man whom he'd recognised, skulking in the shadows.Perhaps it was because he sensed a shared love…for beautiful things.Or maybe it was the feeling of guilt Quatre felt radiating from the older man._

_A person who feels guilt for their actions can not be heartless…Quatre thought, feeling a little awkward at seeing his enemy as a normal man, with feelings, fears, burden… desires._

"Until next time," he breathed, repeating Treize's words, silently wishing for the day that sentence could be true.He watched sadly as Treize left, walking with a natural grace, something Quatre wished he had.

He knew his dreams would be filled with images of this Treize…the real Treize.After all, he did love beautiful things…

## ~ The End ~

What'd you think? Wannon is writing a GW story, but I haven't written in this fandom before, so it was a bit weird.I wrote Treize POV and a teeny bit of Quatre's so if they were OOC, gomen nasai!

And Quatre's thoughts of Trowa?Err… Wannon was trying to work in 3x4 without actually working in 3x4… maybe she'll write3x4 prequel…?Who knows mybe I'll write a 13x5 sequel! (I **love Wufei…)**

So, anyways, this ficcie is dedicated to my beloved friend I-chan Kobayashi who challenged us to write it! I hope he liked the results!! ^_^

And Quatre's eyes are tourmarine… we checked a pic of him against the shade!

Please R/R we need feedback! And we'll email ya if you leave your address! ^_^


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